Weeds: Prickly lettuce (China lettuce) – Lactuca serriola categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 10:55 Prickly lettuce leavesPhoto by: R. Parker Family: Asteraceae (Compositae) Cycle: Annual/Biennial Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Prickly lettuce grows from one to five feet tall from a large taproot. The sap is milky. Seedling plants have slightly lobed leaves with spines […]
Weeds: Prostrate knotweed – Polygonum aviculare categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 10:55 Prostrate knotweed leavesPhoto by: R. Parker Family: Polygonaceae Cycle: Annual Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Prostrate knotweed is a low-growing plant with wiry stems and a thin taproot. Plants branch extensively at the base, with branches lying along the ground but not rooting. […]
Weeds: Puncturevine (Tackweed, Goathead) – Tribulus terrestris categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 10:56 PuncturevinePhoto by: R. Parker Family: Zygophyllaceae Cycle: Annual Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Puncturevine is a prostrate plant growing from a taproot. Above ground, the branching, trailing stems grow one to six feet and are green to reddish in color. Leaves are […]
Weeds: Purple deadnettle (Red deadnettle) – Lamium purpureum categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 10:56 Purple deadnettle flowersPhoto by: C.R. Foss Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae) Cycle: Annual Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Purple deadnettle has the square stems and opposite leaves characteristic of most plants in the mint family. Plants usually branch from the spreading base. Leaves […]
Weeds: Purple loosestrife (Purple lythrum) – Lythrum salicaria categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 10:56 Purple loosestrife in bloomPhoto by: N.R. Ness Family: Lythraceae Cycle: Perennial Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Purple loosestrife is an erect plant growing six to eight feet tall from a woody, rhizomatous root system. The original plant spreads to form a […]
Weeds: Purslane, common – Portulaca oleracea categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 10:58 Common purslane succulent leaves and flowerPhoto by: D.G. Swan Family: Portulacaceae Cycle: Annual Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Common purslane reproduces by seeds, but it can also root from the stems or stem fragments which contact the soil. Common purslane is usually a […]
Weeds: Quackgrass – Elymus repens (Elytrigia repens, Agropyron repens) categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 10:58 QuackgrassPhoto by: D.G. Swan Family: Poaceae (Graminae) Cycle: Perennial Plant type: Grass Biology Quackgrass is a perennial grass which spreads by both seeds and rhizomes, forming dense clumps if left unchecked. The spreading rhizomes are typically pale yellow in […]
Weeds: Red sorrel (Sheep sorrel) – Rumex acetosella categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 10:59 Red sorrel leavesPhoto by: T.W. Miller Family: Polygonaceae Cycle: Perennial Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Red sorrel has a creeping root system and spreads aggressively by underground roots and rhizomes. The upright, somewhat woody stems grow to a height of 1/2 […]
Weeds: Redroot pigweed (Rough pigweed) – Amaranthus retroflexus categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 10:59 Redroot pigweedPhoto by: D.G. Swan Family: Amaranthaceae Cycle: Annual Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Redroot pigweed is a coarse, erect plant, growing two to three feet tall. The lower stems and branches and the upper portion of the taproot are frequently […]
Weeds: Redstem filaree (Stork’s bill, Crane’s bill) – Erodium cicutarium categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 10:59 Redstem filaree fruit and flowersPhoto by: R. Parker Family: Geraniaceae Cycle: Annual Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Redstem filaree is typically a winter annual (sometimes a biennial) growing from a rosette. The one- to two-foot stems may be low […]
Weeds: Reed canarygrass – Phalaris arundinacea categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 11:00 Reed canarygrass emerging in springPhoto by: B.M. Johnson Family: Poaceae (Graminae) Cycle: Perennial Plant type: Grass Biology An aggressive plant, reed canarygrass grows from a large root system. It spreads rapidly by seeds and rhizomes to form large, dense patches, effectively crowding […]
Weeds: Russian thistle (Tumbleweed) – Salsola tragus (S. iberica, S. kali) categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 11:00 Russian thistle seedlingPhoto by: J.A. Kropf Family: Chenopodiaceae Cycle: Annual Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Russian thistle is a densely branched plant from an extensive root system. Young plants have soft, long, string-like leaves. As the plant matures, […]
Weeds: Ryegrass, annual (Italian ryegrass) – Lolium perenne ssp. multiflorum categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 11:00 Ryegrass spikeletsPhoto by: T.W. Miller Family: Poaceae (Graminae) Cycle: Annual Plant type: Grass Biology Annual ryegrass is upright, growing in clumps often reaching four feet tall. The flat leaf blades are shiny and about 1/8 to 1/4 inch […]
Weeds: Salsify (Goatsbeard) – Tragopogon spp. categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 11:01 Salsify flowerPhoto by: R. Parker Family: Asteraceae (Compositae) Cycle: Biennial Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Salsify plants are somewhat grass-like in appearance, with slender, pointed leaves which may be as long as twelve inches. The juice is milky. Young plants are low-growing. More […]
Weeds: Scotch broom – Cytisus scoparius categories: Pr-Sc Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 11:01 Scotch broom flowersPhoto by: T.W. Miller Family: Fabaceae (Leguminosae) Cycle: Perennial Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Scotch broom is an aggressive, woody shrub reaching up to ten feet in height. The slim, angular, green branches are typically upright. Many branches are leafless. When […]
Weeds: Shepherd’s-purse – Capsella bursa-pastoris categories: Sh-Z Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 11:01 Shepherd’s-purse flowers and fruitsPhoto by: T.W. Miller Family: Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) Cycle: Annual Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Shepherd’s-purse is an annual or winter annual (sometimes a biennial) plant with a thin taproot. The leaves are primarily in a basal rosette and may have smooth […]
Weeds: Smartweeds – Polygonum spp. categories: Sh-Z Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 11:02 Smartweed leavesPhoto by: J.A. Kropf Family: Polygonaceae Cycle: Annual/Perennial Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Smartweeds are typically annual weeds with erect or spreading stems up to 3 feet long. The leaves are alternate, attaching to the erect or sprawling stems at enlarged nodes. Many […]
Weeds: Sowthistle, annual and perennial – Sonchus oleraceus, Sonchus arvensis categories: Sh-Z Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 11:02 Annual sowthistle flower headsPhoto by: T.W. Miller Family: Asteraceae (Compositae) Cycle: Annual Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Annual sowthistle grows upright and can reach from one to four feet tall. The lower leaves have a stalk while the upper […]
Weeds: Speedwells – Veronica spp. categories: Sh-Z Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 11:02 Speedwell foliage and flowers close-upPhoto by: P.R. Corpuz Family: Scrophulariaceae Cycle: Annual/Perennial Plant type: Broadleaf Biology Three of the speedwell species common in the Pacific Northwest are very similar in appearance. Ivyleaf speedwell (Veronica hederifolia), Persian speedwell (V. persica), and creeping speedwell (V. […]
Weeds: Spurges (Prostrate spurges) – Chamaesyce spp. (Euphorbia spp.) categories: Sh-Z Weeds revision date: 2024-06-22 11:03 Prostrate spurge with flowersPhoto by: D.G. Swan Family: Euphorbiaceae Cycle: Annual Plant type: Broadleaf Biology There are four prostrate weedy spurges that are common in the western United States. All four species are annual plants with opposite leaves and […]
